1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a repair apparatus. Specifically, the present invention relates to cable repair apparatus.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Communication and power systems are often the victim of circuit overloads or lightening strikes. The excess current and voltage caused by these various activities may destroy a significant amount of equipment and disrupt service for periods of time. As a result, ground wires (e.g., cable) are placed throughout these systems to protect against the potential damage that may be caused.
A ground wire consists of aluminum-clad steel wires surrounding an aluminum tube. Each aluminum-clad steel wire and aluminum tube runs the length of the ground wire. The aluminum tube (e.g. metal tube) is filled with fiber-optic cables. The fiber-optic cables are used for transmission of voice and data over communications networks. In the event of a fault such as a circuit overload or lightening strike, restoration of this type of system is very time-consuming and may cause difficulty in accessing the fiber-optic cables within the aluminum tube.
To gain access to the fiber-optic cables, a technician must remove the aluminum-clad steel wires with a heavy-duty wire cutter exposing the aluminum tube that houses the fiber-optic cable. An attempt is then made to remove the aluminum tube without damaging the fiber-optic cables inside. However, removing the aluminum  tube without damaging the fiber-optic cables is difficult to accomplish. This process is very tedious and time-consuming; in addition, the conventional process often results in damaged fibers and requires that the process be done more than once to retain adequate fiber-optic cables for splicing.
Thus a method and apparatus is required that will facilitate access to the fiber optic cables housed in a ground wire. A method and apparatus is required which will prevent damage to the fibers and reduce the cycle time of operations that require access to fiber optic cable in a ground wire. A method and apparatus is required which would allow a technician to remove the aluminum tube and expose the fiber-optic cables with a single operation.